K���W������eO�JAs is often the case in college football, a week that most of us expected to be sleepy proved to be perhaps the most iconic of the entire season in Week 13. While the SEC was taking its annual lumps for its traditional "cupcake weekend" of buy-game opponents ahead of rivalry week, it turned out to be a disastrous Saturday in the land where It Just Means More. Three teams with two losses vying for spots in the SEC championship and College Football Playoff — Ole Miss, Alabama and Texas A&M — went down on the road to unranked opponents, likely ending their postseason hopes. The rest of the power conferences weren't entirely spared from chaos, though it was a chalky weekend at the top of the ACC and Big Ten, where Ohio State took the glisten off Indiana's success story with a dominant 38-15 win to likely set up a rematch against Oregon in the title game. In the Big 12, however, both BYU and Colorado went down, and now Arizona State and Iowa State control their destinies in a conference in which nine teams are yet to be mathematically eliminated from conference contention. It was a wild weekend in the sport, to say the least. Let's get into the winners and losers from the penultimate week of the regular season. The had to wait a few minutes longer than they expected as one of two (!) premature field stormings thanks to some questionable game management at the end from coach Kenny Dillingham, but they were ultimately afforded a legitimate field storming as they took down BYU and seized control of their own destiny in the Big 12. A team that entered the season expected to be one of the worst teams in the conference in its first season as a member is now just a win in the Territorial Cup over struggling rival Arizona away from clinching a spot in the conference title game. That this team has a clear path to the CFP in just Year 2 under Dillingham is quite an accomplishment. It's hard to understate how poor the situation Dillingham inherited in Tempe from previous coach Herm Edwards, who left the program with a depleted roster and in hot water with the NCAA. The rebuild was expected to take quite some time, and it would have hardly been held against Dillingham if this team missed a bowl game again. Instead, it has a very real shot at reaching the playoff this fall, thanks to the emergence of players like quarterback Sam Leavitt and star running back Cam Skattebo. I don't think Saturday's 38-15 loss to an Ohio State team that held a vast talent advantage should erase what Indiana has accomplished in Year 1 under Curt Cignetti. With what should be an easy win over Purdue next week, the Hoosiers are in all likelihood heading for an unprecedented 11-win season — this is already the first time the program has won 10 games in a season. Indiana looked game on the opening possession, taking an early 7-0 lead before the Buckeyes took over the contest and ultimately held the Hoosiers to just 153 yards of offense in this game as they had no answer at the lines of scrimmage. Admittedly, a win over Ohio State would have ascended Indiana into another class of the sport, setting it up for a Big Ten title appearance against Oregon and locking it into a CFP bid. It's clear this program is not quite there yet, despite the impressive Year 1 effort under Cignetti. But that shouldn't entirely take the wind out of the sails here. During the bye week ahead of the game, Cignetti signed a major extension that will pay him $8 million per year, and with no big-time jobs looking likely to open at the moment, he will likely be sticking around for another season at least. And while the week of discourse leading up to the game focused on attacking Indiana's strength of schedule and playoff candidacy in the event of a loss, chaos around the sport (we'll get to that in a bit) has to have the Hoosiers feeling pretty good about their postseason chances if they're sitting at 11-1. If there's one thing Marcus Freeman has proven at Notre Dame this season, it's that his team is more than capable of handling the flexbone triple option. It beat Navy 51-14 earlier this season to hand the Midshipmen their first loss of the season, and the Fighting Irish did the same to Army on Saturday night in Yankee Stadium with a 49-14 win. Despite its undefeated record and top-20 ranking, the were clearly overmatched in this game, as was their service academy counterpart. But for the Irish, it's yet another convincing win as this team does everything it can to erase a loss to Northern Illinois that is far and away the worst suffered by any team in the CFP conversation. Since then, only one of Notre Dame's wins has come by less than three scores — a seven-point victory over Louisville. Since the calendar turned to October, the Fighting Irish have outscored their opponents 267-65. The strength of schedule certainly leaves a lot to be desired and would likely doom Notre Dame if it can't take care of business against 6-5 USC to close out the regular season, but Freeman's team is practically a lock at 11-1 if it wins that game. While Notre Dame has taken a couple of ugly losses in the Freeman era, his teams continue to respond well to them. Before Saturday, it looked like we were heading for an SEC hater's worst nightmare in the CFP with six teams sitting at two losses or fewer. However, the nightmare turned out to be Greg Sankey's as three of the league's contenders went down to unranked opponents. For Ole Miss, it was a similar story to its other three losses. It probably played the better game and certainly had more than enough opportunities to win but just couldn't take advantage of enough of those chances. All three losses have come by a razor-thin margin, but the cumulative effect will probably cost Ole Miss a playoff spot in a very hyped season under coach Lane Kiffin. Like Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, who threw two interceptions as his team was driving to tie in the final two minutes, Alabama's Jalen Milroe also cost his team dearly with his turnovers, of which he had three. Both came early in the third quarter, with one setting up a touchdown and the other returned for one. Meanwhile, Texas A&M just couldn't shake Auburn despite overcoming a 21-0 deficit early. The Tigers took the Aggies to overtime and ultimately outlasted them on a dueling two-point conversion shootout in four overtimes. The SEC's hopes of getting four or even five teams in the field appear to be dead, and these outcomes were a godsend to teams in other leagues hopeful to snatch up at-large spots, namely Indiana and a non-ACC champion, such as Clemson. : It feels like we may have entered a new era of the Billy Napier era in Gainesville. After many thought he was a dead man walking earlier in the year, he has now notched back-to-back ranked wins for the first time at Florida since 2008. : The Mustangs took care of business against Virginia on the road and are now just one win against Cal away from securing a matchup against Miami in the ACC title game. : FSU finally got back in the win column for the first time since September with a win over Charleston Southern. Are the Bucs a 1-11 FCS team? That's irrelevant. What matters is that Florida State will avoid a 1-11 season itself and now has the chance to ruin its rival's good vibes next weekend. : The Jayhawks are easily the best 5-6 team in the country, and I don't say that sarcastically at all. With wins over Iowa State, BYU and Colorado in recent weeks, this looks like a team no one wants to play right now. Kansas can get bowl-eligible with a win over Baylor. : They've finally done it. After a 5-1 start turned into four-straight losses, the Cornhuskers managed to arrest the slide in a dominant win over Wisconsin, reaching bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016. : It's been a brutal season for the Golden Bears, who have suffered three losses by two points or less. But they reached bowl eligibility with a win over rival Stanford, and quarterback Fernando Mendoza's shows why college football is still the absolute best. : The fired Mike Houston after a 3-4 start, but they've now won four in a row under interim coach Blake Harrell, which was enough for ECU to take the "interim" tag off his title on Monday. : The Beavers captured the Pac-12 championship, winning the lone conference game of the season in upset fashion over Washington State. The field at Reser Stadium was stormed in one of quite a few stormings we saw on Saturday. : It's still a disappointing season in Baton Rouge, but holding on to beat Vanderbilt could prove to be the difference between a frustrating finish and a full-on fan revolt against Brian Kelly. : The Tigers' brutal luck in close games finally turned, and the offense looked the best it has all season as it held on to potentially ruin Texas A&M's season in four overtimes. : The held on to win a back-and-forth game against Utah, and despite a couple tough losses seemingly taking them out of contention, they now control their destiny in the Big 12 once more ahead of the season finale against Kansas State. : The haven't had a fun debut season in the SEC, but knocking off Alabama in front of the home crowd is certainly something they'll remember for a while. : The Golden Flashes needed to win over 2-8 Akron to have a real shot at avoiding 0-12 in a brutal campaign. They lost that game 38-17. : It's been quite the improvement in Boulder this season, but it's clear the Buffs just aren't there yet after Kansas' offense had them tied in knots all night. : The Cowboys are an unbelievable 0-8 after a shootout loss to Texas Tech. This veteran-heavy team was expected to compete for the Big 12 this season, and instead, it's been the worst in the league. : A blowout loss to South Florida was enough for the Golden Hurricane to pull the plug on the Kevin Wilson era in less than two seasons. It's a hire that didn't really make sense from the start, and it ended predictably in Tulsa. : A season that began with such promise has really gone by the wayside down the stretch. The Panthers fell to 7-4 with a demoralizing 37-9 road loss to Louisville. : It's been a special season for Army, but its outside College Football Playoff hopes rested on pulling the top-10 upset over the Irish. : At the risk of sounding like an old man yelling at a cloud, this is getting out of hand. There have been so many field stormings in college football this season that I can't even keep track of them, and fans have gotten so overzealous that not once, but twice on Saturday we saw them storm the field before the clock hit zeroes, leading to lengthy delays and fines for the schools in question. Folks, knock it off.

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Letter of the week: Let’s not be intolerant of different views, but stay civil

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Family of Gaza doctor fear for his safety as Israel claims arrests of October 7 attackers

Buy or sell stocks: The Indian stock market indices ended Friday's market session with gains fueled by heavyweight banking and auto companies like Mahindra and Mahindra, IndusInd Bank and Tata Motors . The Nifty 50 index closed 0.27 per cent higher at 23,813.40 points, compared to the previous close at 23,750.20 points. The BSE Sensex closed 0.29 per cent higher at 78,699.07 points on Friday, compared to 78,472.48 points at the previous market close. Vaishali Parekh's stocks to buy today Vaishali Parekh, vice president of technical research at Prabhudas Lilladher, said the Nifty found a tough barrier at the 23,850 levels in the important 200-period MA zone. The bias for the index is maintained with a cautiously positive approach. Parekh estimates the Nifty 50 Spot index to find support at 23,600 points and face resistance at 24,000 points. The Bank Nifty index will likely move in the 51,000 to 52,000 range. Parekh recommended three buy-or-sell stocks for Monday: Mahindra and Mahindra, VA Tech Wabag, and Tourism Finance Corporation of India Ltd. Stock market today On the outlook for the Nifty 50 and the Bank Nifty index, Parekh said, “Nifty witnessed range-bound sluggish sessions during the week with inside bar candle patterns on the daily chart finding the tough barrier of 23,850 levels of the important 200 period MA and ended the week just near the 23,800 zone with bias maintained with a cautiously positive approach as of now.” “With the sentiment gradually easing out, we maintain the zone near 23,500 levels as the immediate support and at the same time, a decisive close above 24,000-level is necessary to trigger a breakout. Thereafter, anticipate a further rise in the coming days,” said the stock market expert . “Bank Nifty witnessed a tight rangebound movement during the last week of the year with upside capped near 51,700 zone and the support maintained near the 51,000 levels. The bias and sentiment are slightly on the improvement side. As mentioned earlier, the index needs to breach above the significant 50EMA-level of 52,000 to establish conviction. Thereafter anticipate a further upward move,” said Parekh. Parekh said that the Nifty 50 Spot for today has support at 23,600 points and resistance at 24,000 points. The Bank Nifty index would have a daily range of 51,000 to 52,000. Buy or sell stocks by Vaishali Parekh 1. Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. (M&M): Buy at ₹ 3,049; Target at ₹ 3,160; Stop Loss at ₹ 2,995. 2. VA Tech Wabag Ltd. (WABAG): Buy at ₹ 1,646; Target at ₹ 1,720; Stop Loss at 1,615. 3. Tourism Finance Corporation of India Ltd. (TFCILTD): Buy at ₹ 157.80; Target at ₹ 165; Stop Loss at ₹ 154. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.

A timeline of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the search for his killer NEW YORK (AP) — The search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer has stretched into a fifth day — and beyond New York City. Police say it appears the man left the city on a bus soon after Wednesday's shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown. The suspect is seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes later. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Police believe that words found written on ammunition at the shooting scene, including “deny," “defend” and "depose,” suggest a motive driven by anger toward the healthcare company. The words mimic a phrase used by insurance industry critics. Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” Europe's economy needs help. Political chaos in France and Germany means it may be slower in coming BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe's economy has enough difficulties, from tepid growth to trade tensions with the U.S. Dealing with those woes is only getting harder due to the political chaos in the two biggest European countries, France and Germany. Neither has a government backed by a functioning majority, and France could take a while yet to sort things out. But some problems aren't going to wait, such as what to do about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's America First stance on trade and how to fund stronger defense against Putin's Russia. ‘Moana 2’ cruises to another record weekend and $600 million globally “Moana 2” remains at the top of the box office in its second weekend in theaters as it pulled in another record haul. According to studio estimates Sunday, the animated Disney film added $52 million, bringing its domestic total to $300 million. That surpasses the take for the original “Moana” and brings the sequel's global tally to a staggering $600 million. It also puts the film in this year's top five at the box office. “Wicked” came in second place for the weekend with $34.9 million and “Gladiator II” was third with $12.5 million. The 10th anniversary re-release of Christopher Nolan's “Interstellar” also earned an impressive $4.4 million even though it played in only 165 theaters. Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the US A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok as soon as next month, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law - which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — is constitutional, rebuffing TikTok’s challenge that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform. TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. Executive of Tyler Perry Studios dies when plane he was piloting crashes in Florida ATLANTA (AP) — The president of Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios has died when the small plane he was piloting crashed on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The studio confirmed on Saturday that Steve Mensch, its 62-year-old president and general manager, had died Friday. The crash happened in Homosassa, about 60 miles north of Tampa. Photos from the scene show the plane having come to rest upside down on a road. Mensch helped advocate for Georgia’s film tax credit of more than $1 billion a year. Perry hired Mensch to run his namesake studio in 2016. Mensch died as Perry released his war drama, “The Six Triple Eight." The film was shot at the Atlanta studio. US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report also showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. The November data provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. Stock market today: Wall Street hits more records following a just-right jobs report NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation. The S&P 500 climbed 0.2%, just enough top the all-time high set on Wednesday, as it closed a third straight winning week in what looks to be one of its best years since the 2000 dot-com bust. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8% to set its own record. Treasury yields eased after the jobs report showed stronger hiring than expected but also an uptick in the unemployment rate. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass NEW YORK (AP) — In an era when online anger and social tensions are increasingly directed at the businesses consumers count on, Meta last year spent $24.4 million to surround CEO Mark Zuckerberg with security. But the fatal shooting this week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. And experts say the task of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them is getting more difficult. One of the primary worries are loners whose rantings online are fed by others who are like-minded. It’s up to corporate security analysts to decide what represents a real threat. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.UK study warns of perils in AI-driven ‘intention economy’

South Korean authorities seek warrant to detain impeached President Yoon in martial law probeDouglas Macarthur Jobe, 82, of Elkton, passed away on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, at Sentara RMH Medical Center in Harrisonburg. He was born on February 24, 1942, in Page County and was a son of the late Charles Marion Jobe and Mona Marie Painter Jobe. Douglas attended Luray High School and was a veteran of the United States Army, having served two years as a medic in Vietnam. After returning from Vietnam, he worked at Bluebell and later retired from Lowe's in Harrisonburg. Following retirement, one of his favorite pastimes was communicating by way of CB radio, going by the handle DJ194. He was also an avid computer user and often offered advice to his family on anything do to with technology. Douglas was so proud of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and his greatest joy was spending time with them. On January 26, 1967, he married Frances Louise Turner Jobe, who survives. Surviving in addition to his wife are a daughter, Annetta Martz and husband Jimmy of Luray; three grandchildren, Brittney Hinegardner and companion Charlie Morris, and Patrick Martz and wife Angelica, all of Shenandoah, and Jacob Martz of Luray; and three great-grandchildren, Brianna Hinegardner, Christian Morris and Isabella Martz. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Doris Jean Griffith and JoAnn M. Seal; and a brother, Charles E. Jobe. A memorial service was conducted at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 29, at the Newport Covenant Brethren Church by Pastor Duane Painter. Memorial contributions may be made to the Page County SPCA, P.O. Box 62, Luray, VA 22835.

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�驢�X`�B����B餢iM�*eH�gTӎ���������ף�In conclusion, the intense transfer saga surrounding Franck Kessie's potential move to Liverpool highlights the cut-throat nature of modern football and the relentless pursuit of success by top clubs. While Liverpool may have missed out on signing Kessie this time, their resolve to find the right players to improve their squad remains unwavering. Only time will tell if their decision to not match Chelsea's bid was a masterstroke or a missed opportunity. The drama of the transfer window continues to captivate football fans worldwide, keeping them on the edge of their seats until the final deals are sealed.

Bitcoin topped US$100,000 for the first time on Dec 5, jumping drastically from roughly $69,000 the day before the US presidential election about a month earlier. The sharp uptick in price has prompted investors, particularly cryptocurrency enthusiasts, to keep a close eye on what happens next in US politics. As a candidate, Donald Trump pledged to make the US the "crypto capital of the planet". Now the president-elect even suggested the country might one day pay off its national debt in cryptocurrency. "During the campaign, Trump promised many policy changes in the US that will be favourable for Bitcoin and crypto assets in general. We have already seen the impact of this, driving Bitcoin prices to all-time highs," said Nirun Fuwattananukul, chief executive of Gulf Binance, the Thai joint venture between the world's largest crypto exchange and SET-listed Gulf Energy Development. In Mr Nirun's view, these policies are likely to be pushed through. Trump's second term, unlike his first, will have a Republican majority in the Senate and House of Representatives. "This means he can drive his campaign policy very effectively. His campaign advisors, especially Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr, are also very pro-Bitcoin, so I think these pledged policies will be implemented," he told the Bangkok Post. CRYPTO BOOST Mr Nirun said before the US election, Bitcoin was already a well-known and widely adopted asset globally. In the US, many institutions and state pension funds are starting to invest in the world's largest cryptocurrency. "New regulations, if they happen, will make Bitcoin even more mainstream. I believe Bitcoin will become a mainstream investment asset, similar to gold or silver, in the future," he said. Mr Nirun said the general cryptocurrency market will likely follow Bitcoin, with more assets becoming mainstream, taking the Ethereum path. "I think the key driver will be greater innovation. With supportive US policy and more capital returning to the US, we will see more innovation in this space, with new applications and use cases driving crypto assets to become more mainstream in the future," he said. The market anticipates Gary Gensler, chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), leaving his post at the end of Joe Biden's administration. Investors are optimistic about a more crypto-friendly regulator after his departure in early 2025. "He was very active in regulatory enforcement on Bitcoin and crypto assets. The new SEC chairman will likely be much more aligned with Trump's views," said Mr Nirun. Last Wednesday, Trump announced he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to chair the SEC. Mr Atkins, the chief executive of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, has made the case against too much market regulation since he left the US stock market regulator. However, realising the benefits of favourable crypto policies of the new US administration will take time, said Mr Nirun. "I think we need to wait for the proper timing. There are a lot of pressing issues Americans expect Trump to tackle, including the economy and immigration, which will likely come first. We need to wait a bit to see when he will start looking into Bitcoin and crypto assets," he said. "The devil is in the details. Crypto is a complex issue and drafting a new law for this will take time." The FIT21 bill, a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital assets, was previously passed by the House and is now waiting in the Senate. "If Trump wants to redraft the entire bill, this will take even more time," said Mr Nirun. "Hopefully the next SEC chairman is someone with a strategic vision for crypto in the long term." Binance co-founder Yi He shared a similar view, saying products such as spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds have broadened the industry's circle, and these increasing overlaps and innovations indicate a good year is ahead. STABLECOIN OPTIMISM Jeremy Allaire, chief executive of Circle, the issuer of the second-largest stablecoin, expressed optimism regarding global regulation of the sector. He believes the next 10-12 months will be crucial for the stablecoin space, which has already grown to roughly $170 billion, with Tether's USDT and Circle's USDC responsible for the lion's share. However, this is a fraction of the global financial space and the $130-trillion global electronic money market. This means the stablecoin industry still has huge potential for growth, said Mr Allaire. A type of cryptocurrency that aims to maintain a fixed value relative to another asset or currency, stablecoins are often pegged to a traditional currency, namely the US dollar or the euro, or other assets such as gold or silver. "The next 12 months is a pretty big inflection point for stablecoins," he said, with regulatory frameworks in some key jurisdictions expected to take shape over the next year. Speaking at Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai, Mr Allaire likened these early days of digital currency to the early days of digital media, explaining how lowering communication costs spurred rapid growth and revolutionised industries. He suggested achieving similar advancements in transaction costs with programmable money could fundamentally reshape the ways we transfer and manage value in the financial landscape. USDC, Circle's stablecoin, has increasingly been adopted across financial and payment networks, suggesting stablecoins are poised to become a foundational layer in the digital economy, with real-world applications expanding from here, said Mr Allaire. In terms of regulation, he was cautiously optimistic, noting the regulatory environment in several countries had positive sentiment for stablecoins. While a certain level of regulatory hurdles remains, a shift in attitudes among policymakers is taking place, particularly in the US, which is now recognising the long-term value that digital assets can bring, said Mr Allaire. In fact, even those voicing public opposition to the sector or sitting on the sidelines are watching the vanguard, ready to follow suit with comprehensive regulations, he said. This openness can pave the way for a balanced approach that supports innovation without stifling progress, said Mr Allaire. REGULATORY COMPLIANCE Ms Yi acknowledged the past year posed significant challenges, even for industry leaders such as Binance, to sustain growth momentum. With more than 200 million users globally, the world's largest crypto exchange remains focused on building a brighter future for the sector and increasing financial accessibility, she said. Navigating industry-wide regulatory and compliance challenges is an ongoing priority for Binance. While such challenges are complex, Binance views them as necessary for long-term growth and trust within the ecosystem, said Ms Yi. Collaboration with regulators is crucial to achieving mass adoption. "If we want a billion users of crypto, we must cooperate with the regulators. That's how we become the next Google or Amazon of crypto," she said. Access is essential to Binance, as Ms Yi hopes her grandmother or a nanny can easily open the Binance app and use crypto. Noah Perlman, chief compliance officer of Binance, said as more of the world transitions from traditional finance to blockchain, global regulations and compliance is becoming more important than ever. "We can all agree that 2023 was the year in which regulators and policymakers really stepped up their efforts to develop frameworks for the industry," he said. "It is very difficult to follow the rules if they are constantly changing." Having regulations that are difficult to follow or deny product users what they want inevitably pushes users to unregulated spaces, said Mr Perlman, who has a background in traditional finance, adding regulatory frameworks offer certainty, which markets crave. "As we get more certainty in the market through policies such as MiCA, it is going to encourage more people to enter the space," he said, referring to the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation that came into force in June 2023. Yuelin Li, chief product officer of tech startup Onfido, said a clear regulatory framework provides "a sense of safety for consumers", which is the defining factor between those who are willing to give crypto a shot and those who prefer to stay within the realms of traditional finance. Bora Erdamar, director of BlockchainIST Center, an R&D centre for blockchain technology, said the roles of project developers and experts help to bridge the gap between the crypto ecosystem and conventional finance. "We need to make it easier to understand and use blockchain," he said. 2025 TRENDS Alex Svanevik, chief executive of leading on-chain analytics platform Nansen, believes 2025 will see the "biggest bull run in history", supported by Trump's victory in the US election. For next year, meme coins -- cryptocurrencies inspired by internet memes -- will continue to attract retail investors to the crypto space. He anticipates these tokens will significantly boost on-chain metrics, leading to unprecedented records in decentralised exchange (DEX) volumes across multiple blockchain networks. "Meme coins continue to onboard retail to crypto and smash on-chain metrics. We'll see new records in DEX volume for lots of chains," he said. "Better infrastructure, easier user experience, lower transaction fees -- all these make the journey on-chain better for newcomers." Mr Svanevik also foresees a resurgence in decentralised finance (DeFi), driven by clearer regulations and the activation of revenue models within DeFi protocols. With the departure of Mr Gensler from the SEC on Jan 20, he predicts regulatory hurdles will be reduced and institutional capital will flow more freely into DeFi platforms. Mr Svanevik said he envisions cryptocurrencies playing a dual role in accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) projects and offering solutions to mitigate associated risks. "Crypto accelerates AI, but also protects us from AI," he said, adding crypto dollars should continue to pour into AI projects. Binance chief executive Richard Teng said the future is bright for crypto. "We are on the path of mass adoption because every major global financial institution is either embracing crypto or pushing ahead with the blockchain agenda," he said.Gov. Kathy Hochul has asked the Department of Homeland Security to reverse course and fully staff the northern border with Canada, after the department announced last month it was cutting operating hours at four ports of entry. RAISED CONCERNS In a letter to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas dated Nov. 27, Hochul said the decision to put four of New York’s border crossings with Canada on twelve- and sixteen-hour schedules, a reduction from the usual 24-hour operations, is a mistake. “These changes are wholly inconsistent with what is needed now in this state,” she wrote. “I have previously raised my concerns in meetings with the Biden-Harris Administration, and write to once again request the Department of Homeland Security immediately direct staffing and resources to expand enforcement activities along the U.S.-Canada border. In light of this week’s actions, I ask you to immediately reverse the decision to suspend 24/7 staffing along our northern border at critical locations.” The letter was first reported by the Albany Times-Union. POPULAR ROUTE In it, Hochul said the trend of increasing numbers of attempts to cross the border illegally should warrant a firmer response and said the historically relaxed policies around northern border security are partially to blame. “Long-standing immigration policies of the U.S. and Canada have contributed to the northern border becoming an increasingly popular route for non-citizens seeking entry into the U.S., policies which New York does not control,” she wrote. She cited Border Patrol statistics, showing that there were nearly 19,000 reported encounters with people illegally crossing at some point along the entire northern border in August of this year, compared to 4,500 in August of 2021. The region with the sharpest increase in encounters along the border is the Swanton Sector, covering St. Lawrence County east to New Hampshire, while also hosting one of the smallest complements of Border Patrol agents. “As of early 2024, the Swanton Sector has funding for 338 Border Patrol agents, with only 260 filled, but this area of the border requires 728 agents to carry out sufficient enforcement for elevated levels of border crossings,” she wrote. She warned that illegal crossings come with steep risks for those attempting it. In upstate New York and New England, a wintertime or even early spring crossing comes with the risk of losing the way, freezing to death, or drowning. In a much-publicized case from March 2023, an attempt to smuggle a group of Indian and Romanian nationals into the U.S. through the Akwesasne, St. Regis Mohawk lands between Ontario and St. Lawrence County, resulted in nine drowning deaths. Both the U.S. and Canada have moved to charge those involved in the human smuggling operation. GREATER RESOURCES Hochul said she is doing what she can at her level to address the issue—directing $5 million from the federal State Homeland Security Program to enhance state-level security at border crossings. The state Division of Criminal Justice Services is rolling out a broader license plate reader network along border roads, and the State Police are investing in increased staffing and technology, including drone-based surveillance and handheld x-ray machines to examine cargo. She also said she was disappointed that the bipartisan border legislation proposed earlier this year, which would have directed more federal resources to northern border enforcement among other changes to immigration and border security policies, did not pass. “Had it passed, states like New York would have greater resources to handle the influx of migrants nationwide,” she said. “Despite it not passing, New York still needs to expand enforcement at the northern border today.” A change in border policies is likely to come with the new Presidential administration in January, with border policies to be led by West Carthage native and recent Jefferson County resident Thomas D. Homan. Homan has started discussions with the mayor of New York City to discuss expedited deportation of migrants and people seeking asylum that have been sent to that city from the southern border. He has pledged to carry out President-Elect Donald J. Trump’s campaign promise to conduct a major nationwide deportation push.

NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Attorney Advertising -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against ASML Holding NV (“ASML” or “the Company”) (NASDAQ: ASML) and certain of its officers. Class Definition This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired ASML securities between January 24, 2024 and October 15, 2024 inclusive (the “Class Period”). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm’s site: bgandg.com/ASML. Case Details The complaint alleges Defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the issues being faced by suppliers, like ASML, in the semiconductor industry were much more severe than Defendants had indicated to investors; (2) the pace of recovery of sales in the semiconductor industry was much slower than Defendants had publicly acknowledged; (3) Defendants had created the false impression that they possessed reliable information pertaining to customer demand and anticipated growth, while also downplaying risk from macroeconomic and industry fluctuations, as well as stronger regulations restricting the export of semiconductor technology, including the products that ASML sells; and (4) as a result, Defendants' statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis. What's Next? A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm’s site: bgandg.com/ASML. or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660 . If you suffered a loss in ASML you have until January 13, 2025, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. There is No Cost to You We represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys’ fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful. Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contact Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC Peretz Bronstein or Nathan Miller 332-239-2660 | info@bgandg.com

Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise prices, won't rule out revenge prosecutionsThe incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of robust safety measures and emergency preparedness in all types of facilities, especially those housing sensitive data and critical infrastructure. As the investigation into the fire continues, questions will be raised about the adequacy of fire prevention measures, evacuation protocols, and overall safety standards within the data center.

Official: Naby Keita Joins Ferencvaros on Loan with Option to BuyHainan, with its lush tropical landscapes and serene beaches, provides the perfect backdrop for the show's literary discussions and reflections. As the celebrities and guests immerse themselves in the natural beauty of the island, they are inspired to delve deeper into the world of literature, sharing their personal stories and insights on the books that have shaped their lives. From classic Chinese novels to modern international bestsellers, each episode of "Reading on the Island" offers a diverse range of reading recommendations for viewers to explore.

Russian State TV Reveals Assad's Whereabouts

Furthermore, experts have highlighted the importance of enhancing unconventional countercyclical adjustment measures to address economic challenges effectively. In times of economic downturns or unexpected shocks, traditional monetary and fiscal policies may prove inadequate in stimulating growth and restoring stability. As such, policymakers should be prepared to implement bold and unconventional measures that go beyond the usual policy instruments to support the economy and mitigate risks.Editorial: Adani in trouble

6���lLatest News | Delhi BJP Slams AAP, Welcomes Order for Probe into Data Collection Under 'Mahila Samman Yojana'Too early to celebrate – Arne Slot keeps leaders Liverpool focused

Chelsea’s surprise defeat by Fulham meant victory over the Foxes stretched their lead to seven points, with a match in hand, with the halfway point of the campaign fast approaching. But Slot is maintaining his level-headed approach despite the clamour growing around their chances of adding another title to the one won in 2020. “If you are in this game for a long time like the players and I am then 20 games before the end you don’t look at it as there are so many challenges ahead of you,” he said after Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah scored to turn around an early deficit following Jordan Ayew’s strike. “Injuries and and a bit of bad luck can happen to any team, it is far too early to be already celebrating – but it is nice for us to be where we are. “I don’t think there was any easy win for us in any of these games; it could have been an easy win against Tottenham but we conceded two and it was then 5-2 – that tells you how difficult it is to win even when you have all your players available. “That is why we have to take it one game at a time. The league table is something of course we are aware of but we always understand how many games there are to go.” Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy felt his side held their own until Salah scored in the 82nd minute. “I think we were in the contest for a result for a long time,” he said. “Three-one was the turning point in the sense the game was done there to get a result. “I think the 60th minute I remember a chanced for Daka to score the equaliser so we were in the game to get a surprising result. “We did well, we did what we could: a good start with the goal but if you speak of a turning point, 3-1 with Salah, the game was done.” Van Nistelrooy left goalkeeper Danny Ward out of the squad after he struggled in the defeat to Wolves and was jeered by his own fans. “The change in goal was one to make and the conversation with Wardy was impressive, the way he was thinking of the team and the club,” added the Dutchman. “I insisted on a conversation and of course it is a private conversation but what I want to share is the person and the professional he is. “I was impressed with that and his willingness for the team and the club to do well. “Really tough what happened for him. We are professionals but human beings as well, when frustration is being directed towards one person that is difficult.”Ontario NDP MPPs are calling on the Doug Ford government to tighten the rules on ticket reselling in light of steep resale prices facing fans hoping to see Taylor Swift perform in Toronto. MPPs Kristyn Wong-Tam, who represents Toronto Centre, and Chris Glover, who represents Spadina-Fort York, told reporters on Friday the ticket resale market needs to be fixed. They said tickets are being resold for thousands of dollars above their original prices due to unregulated platforms. "Fans are paying the price for the Ontario government's inaction on the ticket resale racket. Not all Swifties have had an enchanted experience," Wong-Tam said, outside the Rogers Centre. "Tis the damn season to fix Ontario's ticket resale market," Wong-Tam said, nodding to a Swift song. "These margins are going to people who don't like Taylor Swift music. They're not even fans and they're all profiteering." Wong-Tam said she introduced two motions in the Ontario Legislature on Thursday to demand an end to unfair ticket resale practices. One motion calls on the province to consult with stakeholders, investigate and create a system to end price gouging and to fix the ticket resale market, while the other calls for an equitable funding strategy to support Ontario's arts, culture and sports sector. "Everyone has a right to enjoy the arts," Wong-Tam said. "We want to help create a fair, competitive marketplace for these experiences and we do that by supporting a thriving and competitive economy." In 2018, the Ontario government under Doug Ford paused implementation of a section of the Ticket Sales Act that was brought in by the previous Liberal government. That would have capped ticket resale prices at 50 per cent above the original face value. In 2019, the government cancelled that section. At the time, the government said there was no way to enforce the cap. CBC News has contacted the province for comment on the motions. The motions come as Swift wraps up her Eras Tour in Toronto, with two remaining performances on Friday and Saturday nights. Retail tickets for shows on Swift's tour in North America and Europe sold out almost instantly. Many then popped up on resale sites just as quickly. Swift fans hoping to snag tickets now face soaring prices because scalpers and bots scooped up the tickets and are reselling them at excessively high prices. The cheapest tickets available on resale websites for the sold out Rogers Centre shows this week were available on Friday at $4,000 a pop — and that's for a restricted view in a standing-room only section. Tickets with a seat — though still with an obstructed or limited view — are closer to $4,500. Glover, for his part, said there is no regulation around the resale market in Ontario. "This resale market is grossly unfair," Glover said. "We need resale regulations. It will help fans across this province." In a news release, Glover said: "Music fans are being gouged... Whether it is groceries, telecoms, or tickets this government is putting big corporations over making your life more affordable." Several jurisdictions in Europe, including Ireland, Portugal, Denmark and France, have successfully regulated their ticket resale markets, he said.

Daily Post Nigeria APC ta yi martani ga Kwankwaso Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport Hausa APC ta yi martani ga Kwankwaso Published on December 28, 2024 By Kabeer Bello Jam’iyyar APC ta maida martani ga dan takarar shugaban kasa na jam’iyyar NNPP a zaben 2023, Sanata Rabiu Kwankwaso. Kwankwaso ya karbi wasu ‘yan siyasa da suka sauya sheka a gidansa ranar Laraba. A lokacin taron, ya bayyana cewa NNPP ta zama jam’iyya mai karfi da za ta rage tasirin APC a jihar Kano. Ya ce: “Yanzu lokaci ya yi da za mu rage tasirin APC. Za mu yi aiki tukuru don ganin kuri’unsu sun ragu zuwa kasa da 15,000 a Kano kafin 2027.” Ya kara da jan hankalin magoya bayansa su kasance masu jajircewa wajen tabbatar da nasarar jam’iyyar a zabukan gaba. Amma a martaninsu, Daraktan Yada Labarai na APC, Alhaji Bala Ibrahim, ya bayyana cewa Kwankwaso da tawagarsa ba su da wani tasiri da zai zama barazana ga damar nasarar APC. Ya ce manyan jiga-jigan APC, ciki har da shugaban jam’iyyar na kasa, Dakta Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, za su tabbatar da nasarar jam’iyyar. Jam’iyyar ta kara da cewa Shugaban Kasa Bola Ahmed Tinubu na daukar matakan da za su kara masa farin jini a wurin mutanen Kano kafin zaben 2027. “Amma Kwankwaso ya manta cewa shugaban jam’iyyar mai mulki daga Kano yake ba, kuma ya taba zama gwamna mai karfi. Shi ne gwamna na karshe kafin wanda ke kan kujera a yanzu. Saboda haka yana da magoya baya. “Shugaban kasa yana yin abubuwan da za su kara masa farin jini a Kano kafin 2027. Don haka Kwankwaso ba ya cewa zai ci zabe; yana cewa zai dauki wasu kuri’unmu, wanda ke nufin ya san kuri’u duka za su kasance na mu, amma zai dauki kadan, wanda ba zai kawo tangarda ga nasararmu ba.” APC ta bayyana Kwankwaso a matsayin “’dan gudun hijirar siyasa” wanda ya zabi riko da Gwamna Abba Kabir Yusuf tamkar kyankyasai, yana yin kokarin banza na dawo da tasirinsa a harkokin siyasa a kasar. Related Topics: APC NNPP Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso Don't Miss Vinícius Jr ya lashe babbar kyauta a kwallon kafa bayan rashin nasara a Ballon d’Or You may like Sule Lamido ya zargi gwamnatin APC da boye gaskiyar bashin da ake karbowa Najeriya Rivers: You’ve been shamed – APC chieftain mocks Ganduje, Okocha over court ruling 2027: You are a political refugee, imposter in NNPP – APC blasts Kwankwaso Give palliatives without endangering lives of beneficiaries – APC Senator tells Nigerians Zamu yi wa APC yadda muka yiwa PDP a zaben 2023 – Kwankwaso Nan zuwa 2025 komai zai daidaita – Ganduje Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media LtdSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean law enforcement officials on Monday requested a court warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol as they investigate whether his short-lived martial law decree on Dec. 3 amounted to rebellion. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities into the power grab that lasted only a few hours, confirmed it requested the warrant from the Seoul Western District Court. They plan to question Yoon on charges of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion. The warrant request came after Yoon dodged several requests by the joint investigation team and public prosecutors to appear for questioning and also blocked searches of his offices. While Yoon has the presidential privilege of immunity from criminal prosecution, such protections don’t extend to allegations of rebellion or treason. It’s not clear whether the court will grant the warrant or whether Yoon can be compelled to appear for questioning. Under the country’s laws, locations potentially linked to military secrets cannot be seized or searched without the consent of the person in charge, and it’s unlikely that Yoon will voluntarily leave his residence if he faces detention. There are also concerns about possible clashes with Yoon’s presidential security service if authorities attempt to forcibly detain him. Yoon’s presidential powers were suspended after the National Assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14 over his imposition of martial law, which lasted only hours but has triggered weeks of political turmoil, halted high-level diplomacy and rattled financial markets. Yoon’s fate now lies with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberations on whether to uphold the impeachment and formally remove Yoon from office or reinstate him. The National Assembly voted last week to also impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who had assumed the role of acting president after Yoon’s powers were suspended, over his reluctance to fill three Constitutional Court vacancies ahead of the court’s review of Yoon’s case. The country’s new interim leader is Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who is also finance minister. To formally end Yoon’s presidency, at least six justices on the nine-member Constitutional Court must vote in favor. Three seats are currently vacant following retirements and a full bench could make conviction more likely. Choi, who has been handling the government’s response to a plane crash on Sunday that killed 179 people, has yet to say whether he intends to appoint the Constitutional Court justices. In a separate criminal investigation of Yoon, authorities have already arrested his defense minister, police chief and several other military commanders involved in the attempt to enforce the martial law decree, which harkened back to the days of authoritarian leaders the country hasn’t seen since the 1980s. Yoon and his military leadership have been accused of attempting to block the National Assembly from voting to end martial law by sending hundreds of heavily armed troops to encircle the building. Lawmakers who managed to get in voted unanimously 190-0 to lift martial law, hours after Yoon declared it in a late-night television address. Yoon has also been accused of ordering defense counterintelligence officials to detain key politicians, including opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik and the ex-leader of his own conservative party, Han Dong-hun, a reformist who supported investigations into corruption allegations against first lady Kim Keon Hee. Yoon has defended the martial law decree as a necessary act of governance, portraying it as a temporary warning against the liberal opposition Democratic Party, which he has described as an “anti-state” force obstructing his agenda with its majority in the National Assembly. Yoon has claimed he had no intention to paralyze the functioning of the assembly, saying that the troops were sent to maintain order, and also denied planning to arrest politicians. Yoon’s claims have been denied by Kwak Jong-keun, the now-arrested commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, who testified in the National Assembly that Yoon called for troops to “quickly destroy the door and drag out the lawmakers who are inside” the assembly’s main chamber where the vote occurred. Kwak said he did not carry out Yoon’s orders. The joint investigation team has also questioned Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho, commander of the Defense Intelligence Command, who has also been arrested over suspicions that he sent troops to the National Election Commission in Gwacheon city after Yoon declared martial law. Yoon has defended the troop deployment to the election commission, which happened at the same time as the military operation at the National Assembly, saying it was necessary to investigate supposed vulnerabilities in the commission’s computer systems potentially affecting the credibility of election results. Yoon’s failure to offer any evidence in support of his claims has raised concerns that he was endorsing conspiracy theories on right-wing YouTube channels that April’s parliamentary elections were rigged. The Democratic Party won those elections by a landslide. The election commission rejected Yoon’s allegations, stating there was no basis to suspect election fraud.“My twin sister Nicola got sick when she was 24 years old. It was determined that she had stomach cancer and passed away two months to the day she was diagnosed.” Natasha Benn lost her sister to a rare and aggressive form of stomach cancer in 1993. Before Nicola, her mother had passed away from the same cancer when Benn was two. So did her grandmother, aunt, and great-grandfather. “My dad always thought it might be some kind of hereditary component to the type of cancer that my mom had, but it was never confirmed at the time,” Benn said. Shortly after Nicola's death, a gastroenterologist strongly suggested that Benn undergo surgery to remove her stomach, given the close genetic link between the twins. Nine months later, the young woman decided to go forward with full gastrostomy, unbeknownst to her if she was carrying the same ailment. Grieving the loss of her sister and uncertain if she had made the right decision, Benn received news six years later confirming her choice had been the correct one. After performing a biopsy on the young woman’s stomach, pathologists discovered traces of cancer in the organ’s lining - something that could not have been detected even with an endoscopy. Little did they know, the Benns, along with another family from Detroit, were part of a groundbreaking discovery that transformed the lives of countless families. For the first time in history, researchers identified a genetic mutation in Natasha’s stomach which they named CDH1. This mutation was found to carry an 83 per cent risk of developing stomach cancer and 60 per cent likelihood of lobular breast cancer. Thanks to the technological advances and research, organizations like BC Cancer can find this mutation through risk-free, non-evasive, and efficient ways. A simple sample of saliva, or blood, can be all that’s needed to determine if one carries the rogue gene. “Genetic testing can be helpful in clarifying whether or not you have an increased risk [of cancer] and then determining what's available in terms of screening and prevention for those specific types of cancer,” said Jennifer Nuk, leader in genetic counsellor for the BC Cancer Hereditary Cancer Program. For decades, identifying hereditary cancer solely relied on analyzing one’s family history, without having certainty if members were carriers of the ailment, explained Nuk. In the early days of genetic testing, means were limited, costly, and slow. Today, however, researchers can examine more genes than ever before with greater efficiency, at a higher rate, for a fraction of what it once cost. “We've had families that were seen years ago where it looks like there was something going on in the family... and we didn't find anything,” said Nuk. “Now we go back to test that same family [and] we're actually picking up mutations because the technology has improved so much.” Though many remain to be studied, Nuk and her team can now detect rogue genes causing numerous cancers including ovarian, breast, and colon. The lead geneticist added that the services offered by the program are twofold; genetic testing to identify individuals carrying mutated genes, and the provision of personalized care plans for those at increased cancer risk. “If we can figure out someone's at higher risk... we have a much better chance of offering better outcomes for the patient,” she said. People are provided with comprehensive information and a range of options, allowing them to make informed decisions about their next steps. As prevention is key to combating cancer, Nuk and her team will discuss and propose to their patients appropriate screening options, such as mammograms or MRIs, as well as preventative measures like vaccines and surgeries suited to their respective conditions. In turn, Nuk added that if one treatment can be given over another more invasive one, this will ultimately result in a better quality of life for individuals and benefit the overall health-care system. Since its inception in 1997, the prevention program has not only saved thousands of lives but also reduced health-care costs for taxpayers, freed up time and resources for other cancer patients, and alleviated the burden on B.C.'s hospitals. Benn and her sisters benefited from this very program. “My older sister did have the gene and decided to go through with the surgery and had her stomach removed,” she said. “[It] was riddled with cancer and she's still living today.” Her other sister, luckily, tested negative for the CDH1 mutation. Benn herself, facing a significant breast cancer risk from possessing the gene, opted for a preventative mastectomy. Reflecting on her journey, the self-proclaimed “cancer avoider” acknowledges the challenges she faced, including the grief of losing her sister and the uncertainty that followed her surgery. However, she strongly recommends the importance of prioritizing preventative care. “To have that knowledge and to be willing to [use it] is so important,” said Benn. “I know a lot of people avoid going to the doctor, especially when you might be feeling completely healthy, but you don't know what else is happening in your body. “Having a screening place that you can go to determine if you have a history of any kind of illness that you can prevent it in advance, why wouldn't you go?”Electric skepticism

The secret US soldiers who trained for WWIII by free-falling with a NUKE between their legs READ MORE: The 'one-man army' who looked his killer in the eye and knew exactly what to do next By RUTH WALKER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 00:41 GMT, 30 December 2024 | Updated: 00:41 GMT, 30 December 2024 e-mail 1 View comments It was a warm, clear night in 1983 when about a dozen elite Green Berets jumped down from the back of a two-and a-half-ton truck at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina . They were met by two mysterious men in black flight suits. No patches or insignia indicated what branch of the military they represented, but they were clearly in charge ‘This is a classified operation,’ one of them told the special ops team. ‘From this point forward, we have command and control.’ As they finished briefing the group, another vehicle pulled up, containing a box the men were more than familiar with. They had been training for one like it for many hours; or at least, an inert version of it. This time, however, they were about to use the real thing. The SADM (Special Atomic Demolition Munition) was a top secret nuclear weapon no different from the one dropped on Hiroshima, but with one crucial difference: it was small enough to fit inside a rucksack. In his new book We Defy , about the lost chapters of Special Forces history, Jack Murphy reveals the US military's special nuclear program - called Green Light - was developed in 1962, in preparation for World War III, and remained an active part of its training until 1986. Three hours into their flight, the Green Berets were informed of their target: one of the largest hydroelectric dams in Cuba . Its destruction was intended to disrupt the country’s power supply, cripple the economy and cause widespread chaos. Soldiers may have played it down as a mere ‘backpack nuke’ but, after various iterations, it weighed close to 70 pounds and was extremely unwieldy The weapon was no different from the one dropped on Hiroshima, but with one crucial difference: it was small enough to fit inside a rucksack Only once they had parachuted to the target and were preparing to detonate the bomb were they suddenly informed this was just a training exercise. It turned out they were on a drop zone somewhere in New Mexico, more than a thousand miles from Cuba. ‘The Green Berets were still reeling, their adrenaline pumping,’ writes Murphy. ‘They had assumed they were deep behind enemy lines until moments previously. ‘“It was absolutely real,” a team member said.’ Jumping with the SADM was no easy task. Its operators may have played it down as a mere ‘backpack nuke’ but, after various iterations, it weighed in at close to 70 pounds and was extremely unwieldy. ‘Really experienced jumpers had a really hard time flying that bomb properly,’ said Tommy Shook, a team sergeant in the mid-1970s. ‘You didn't jump the bomb; it jumped you.’ Murphy writes: ‘In about 90 percent of his team’s freefall jumps with the weapon, [Shook] and his teammates missed the drop zone and ended up in the woods.’ Add to that the complicated logistics and it was not a mission for the faint hearted. ‘When infiltrating the SADM by parachute, one man jumped in with the bomb and another jumped in with the planewave generator that would detonate it,’ writes Murphy. ‘A third team member carried a conventional shaped explosive charge to destroy the SADM to prevent it from falling into enemy hands if the team were compromised. The freefall team's patch (left) and dark humor from the Green Light scuba unit Read More Inside the sinister world of real-life hired guns... and the chilling details Hollywood gets wrong ‘Each Green Light team also had to carry a 23-pound shaped charge to destroy the SADM before it could fall into enemy hands,’ he writes. ‘Using the emergency destruction charge would spread uranium and plutonium across the environment, causing a far greater ecological disaster than a low-yield nuclear detonation.’ Don Alexander, who spent a decade training on the program, told Murphy: ‘It was so in-extremis, that their concern was more the destruction of the technology than the localized contamination that would happen.’ Many of those involved also believed they were being trained for a one-way mission - they saw no plans for their escape to safety after detonating the bomb and, as one member said: ‘You were under the impression that you were expendable.’ One conspiracy theory had it that the timer didn't work, and at the moment it was detonated, it would wipe out the Special Forces team with it. Some even joked, darkly, that, when they unlocked the SADM to arm it for real, along with the bomb they would find 12 Medals of Honor and a bottle of Jack Daniels inside. ‘The rationale for this theory was that the US government would not want a handful of operators who could be captured running around behind enemy lines with knowledge about a nuclear bomb that was ticking down.’ If they survived, their orders were to ‘remain behind enemy lines, attempt to recruit Soviet military deserters, raise a guerrilla army and wage unconventional warfare.’ The SADM went into development in 1960, writes Murphy, ‘but the specifications were amended the following year to include a waterproof pressure case so that the device could be emplaced by frogmen.' It entered military service in April 1963 with the Army eventually stockpiling nearly 300 by the mid 1960s. Highly trained soldiers practiced swimming, kayaking and skiing with the nuke. The most dreaded training exercises were those that combined both parachuting and scuba - requiring the soldier to jump not just with the weapon but also carrying two oxygen tanks. And, while no SADM was ever activated, almost all of those involved said that, at times, they fully believed their training exercises were genuine. Former NCO Mike Taylor recalled one particular episode that occurred during the Reagan administration. ‘His team got called in and put into an isolation facility to begin planning for a mission to Europe, parachuting in straight from a flight from the United States,’ writes Murphy. ‘They were not told what country they were going to. The entire team thought it was the real deal, but after four days the team was sent home with no explanation.’ A Green Light swimmer suits up for SADM delivery 'I always thought that this was a psychological tool... to let the Russkies know that they had weird dudes and Green Berets running around with a nuke in their pocket' The most dreaded training exercises were those that combined both parachuting and scuba - requiring the soldier to jump not just with the weapon but also carrying two oxygen tanks Did the DoD ever really intend to use nuclear weapons on key targets during the Cold War? At least one person close to the program was convinced he would never see active combat. ‘I always thought that this was a psychological tool that was used at much higher levels just to let the Russkies know that they had weird dudes and Green Berets running around with a nuke in their pocket,’ said Captain Bill Flavin. Others, though, were not so sure, pointing to the detailed targets outside Europe as evidence that the US was targeting enemies closer to home than Russia. One veteran said his team would regularly review slide decks and aerial photography of targets in Latin America. ‘I can tell you where every intersection on the Cuba highway, where every military base, where every naval port was, where every dam was,’ he told Murphy. Another suggested that the Panama Canal had been in their sights. ‘I'm just glad we never had to do it for real,’ said Scott Wimberley, who swam the bomb into position during an exercise in the mid-1970s. ‘It was going to be a suicide mission.’ Decades on, some of those who served on Green Light are still convinced that was the case. Mike Adams, who was a young sergeant when he took part in a mission in 1985, retired as a Sergeant Major and was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 50. He believes he was exposed to radiological material during his service, and filed a claim with Veterans Affairs only to have it denied. ‘My doctor at Yale wrote a letter [to Veteran's Affairs] stating that there is no reason on planet Earth why a person as young and healthy as you are,’ should have certain types of cancer, Adams told Murphy. ‘He was adamant that we should have known to tie that to [Green Light].’ After a decade long fight with cancer, Mike Adams died on August 18, 2024. Edited from We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History by Jack Murphy Cuba Share or comment on this article: The secret US soldiers who trained for WWIII by free-falling with a NUKE between their legs e-mail Add commentWaitrose takes drastic measures to protect designer bags for life after resellers flogging them for a ‘hefty mark up’

Shadow police minister Brad Battin will become Victorian Liberal leader after successfully ousting John Pesutto in a tense leadership showdown on Friday morning. Former tennis player Sam Groth, who made headlines earlier this month by dramatically resigning from the shadow cabinet, will serve as deputy leader. Mr Pesutto arrived solo parliament to learn his fate on Friday morning, where MPs also voted to readmit exiled MP Moira Deeming to the party room. As he made his way inside Mr Pesutto told reporters his focus was battling Victoria's dire bushfire situation. Shadow parliamentary secretary for justice and corrections Chris Crewther and shadow finance minister Jess Wilson were also in the running for the Liberals' top job in the four-way leadership showdown. Mr Battin made brief comments to the media after emerging victorious, praising Mr Pesutto's efforts as Liberal leader. "I want to thank John Pesutto for what he has done for our party over the last two years and the last 30 years in service with a Liberal Party, he is a true believer of our values and a man of his word," Mr Battin said. "He has worked tirelessly from when he got in to now. "We now have an obligation to move forward. I'm thankful for the support of my colleagues in the party room today to ensure we can come out united and get on message. "We now Victorians are hurting, the cost-of-living crisis impacting each and every family across the state. We have seen too often in the media that are crime crisis is out of control and we need to make sure we have policies fixing that and ensuring people are safe in their homes, communities and businesses." Mr Pesutto, who also spoke after emerging from the vote, said he was a "servant of (his) party room" and the Victorian Liberal Party would move its focus to winning the next election. Rumours of a leadership spill emerged after Ms Deeming won her defamation lawsuit against Mr Pesutto on December 12. The situation escalated on Boxing Day when Mr Battin called Mr Pesutto to inform the Opposition Leader that he would be challenging him for the party leadership on Friday. The move followed a week of heightened tensions within the party, sparked by a failed vote to readmit Ms Deeming to the Liberal Party room. The vote was split 14-14. Mr Pesutto swiftly tried to conduct damage control by announcing a new meeting on January 15 where he would support Ms Deeming’s return to the fold. But five MPs, including Mr Battin, promptly called a party room meeting for Friday to bring forward the vote. Mr Pesutto then irked some MPs within the party when he broke with tradition and attempted to allow allied members not attending the party room meeting to vote remotely, however, his attempt was blocked on Friday and Nick McGowan and Cindy Mcleish were not permitted to vote.

Senator Amy Klobuchar , a Minnesota Democrat, said Sunday that she's "not a fan" of preemptive pardons that President Joe Biden is reportedly weighing to issue before he leaves office in January. Politico and NBC News reported last week that Biden is considering issuing preemptive pardons for prominent critics of President-elect Donald Trump , including Democratic Senator-elect Adam Schiff of California, Dr. Anthony Fauci and former GOP Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming. Trump has repeatedly suggested some of his prominent critics should face investigations and be jailed, spurring fears that his Justice Department may follow through on his threats. A preemptive pardon is a pardon that is granted before any formal legal proceedings against the individual have begun. This compares to the more traditional form of pardons, which are issued during legal proceedings, or after a conviction. Klobuchar pushed back on the idea in an interview with MSNBC on Sunday. She also criticized Biden's controversial decision to issue a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden . "I am not a fan of these [preemptive pardons]," the senator said. "I didn't like the pardon of the president's son. I didn't think that that was prudent. But I also am very concerned about this idea of the preemptive pardons." Although she said she is "very concerned" about Trump's incoming Justice Department, Klobuchar added that Schiff specifically had told her he does not want a preemptive pardon. "He believes that this is a nation of laws and that there are judges that make decisions all the time, including during the last Trump administration, including Republican appointees from many different administrations, who did the right thing in many cases under the law," the Minnesota Democrat said. Last month, Schiff told NPR about preemptive pardons: "I would urge the president not to do that. I think it would seem defensive and unnecessary." Newsweek has reached out to the White House and Trump's transition team on Sunday via email for comment. In an exclusive interview with NBC News' Meet the Press that aired on Sunday, Trump reiterated that he believes some of his political opponents should be jailed . He specifically mentioned Cheney, as well as other members of the House select committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Biden's decision to pardon his son after previously saying that he wouldn't has already drawn criticism from leading Democratic lawmakers, although some have defended the decision as well. Hunter was due to be sentenced in December in his two criminal cases involving federal tax fraud and a gun charge. He was facing up to 25 years in prison as he was found guilty on three felony charges. "If I have to have a bias in this area, it's a loving parent who wants to protect his child," Senator Dick Durbin , an Illinois Democrat, told CNN on Sunday , defending the president's controversial decision. Other Biden defenders have pointed out that Trump issued a number of pardons for prominent allies, including the father of his son-in-law and key White House adviser Jared Kushner . Jared Kushner's father, Charles Kushner, was also announced at the end of November as Trump's pick to be U.S. ambassador to France.

Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants – thousands in number – gathered at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna on Sunday, demanding a re-examination of the 70th BPSC preliminary exams, over allegations of question paper leak. The commission had earlier stated that they would not cancel the Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 that was held on December 13. Moreover, Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor also gave a period of three days to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to resolve the issue. The protesters demanded to meet CM Nitish Kumar during the Sunday protest to discuss the impasse. However, a clash between the police and the demonstrators ensued. The cops lathi-charged and used water cannons to disperse the crowd as protesters broke barricades set up near JP Golambar. At Gandhi Maidan, the scuffle between the police and BPSC aspirants broke out after the protestors attempted to march towards Dak Bungalow via Fraser Road. The police deployed heavy security and placed barricades near Hotel Maurya to contain the protestors. The protests have been going on in Patna since the exams were held but has now gained momentum with the support of activists, politicians and educationalists. Kishor, also the founder of Jan Suraaj Party, said that irregularities and paper leaks have become a norm as far as BPSC exams are concerned. “It can't go on like this... We have to find a solution,” said Kishor, adding that that’s why they decided to organise 'Chatra Sansad' (students' congregation) at the Gandhi Maidan. RJD leader and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, expressing his solidarity with the protesters, wrote a letter to the CM, demanding cancellation of the exams. Patna District Magistrate (DM) Chandrasekhar Singh said that the district administration will not allow students to congregate at Gandhi Maidan as it is a restricted area. Last week, BPSC Examination Controller Rajesh Kumar Singh said that there is no question of cancelling the entire exam that was held on December 13. The only reason BPSC decided to cancel the preliminary examination at Bapu Pariksha Parisar centre was due to a disruption by a group of unruly aspirants, and will now be held on January 4 at another centre. Singh accused a “group of private coaching institutes” of instigating aspirants. (With agency inputs)

Sir Keir Starmer has been warned his ratings have suffered a “catastrophic” angered by his “family farm tax”. Just one in five voters believes Labour cares about people who live and work in the countryside, polling for The Telegraph has found. A survey of more than 2,000 adults conducted by Public First, the political consultancy, found only 22 per cent . Even among those who voted for Labour at the most recent general election, this only rose to two in five (40 per cent). “Labour’s ratings with all voters are very poor at the moment, but with rural voters they are catastrophic,” said James Frayne, a partner at Public First. Mr Frayne added: “To some extent they might have expected that with countryside voters, having had all the negative coverage. But they might be somewhat surprised by the developing vitriol which now seems to be absolutely commonplace.” It comes after a string of unpopular policy decisions, including changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) , which farmers claim will put many out of business. From April 2026, farms worth more than £1 million will be subject to a 20 per cent levy, half the usual inheritance tax rate. Rural groups have argued that the £1 million threshold will hit the majority of working family farms, asset-rich but cash-poor, instead of targeting . On Saturday, Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trade Union Congress, became the first major union boss to speak out against the policy, saying he was “worried” about the impact changes to APR will have on small farmers. “You wouldn’t want the policy to impact on small family farms, because that was never the intention,” he told The Independent. “The onus will be on the Government to demonstrate that this it will have. I know that for some small employers, national insurance contributions will also be a worry next year, particularly for those companies operating on small profit margins.” Public First also found that voters believed the Green Party cared about the countryside more than Labour. Asked which political parties best understood the lives of those who live and work in the countryside, the most popular answer was the Conservative Party, followed by Reform. The Green Party – which is usually popular in urban, cosmopolitan areas – came third, followed by Labour in fourth place with 19 per cent. Only the Liberal Democrats trailed Labour, with 12 per cent. Separate analysis by the Countryside Alliance found that there are now many of whom were elected with a slim majority. “People put a blind faith in the Labour Party [at the election],” Mr Frayne said. “There are many constituencies Labour had very little history in having representation in the past. “People just thought it can’t be any worse but many have been surprised that actually it is worse. is really quite something.” Public First also carried out a series of in-depth interviews as part of their qualitative research into how rural voters felt about the Government. Speaking to voters in the rural constituency of Banbury, at the edge of the Cotswolds, they found that most felt Labour had had a rocky start in government and that not enough had changed – but many felt it was still too early to draw firm conclusions. Ian Deacon, a former Conservative voter in his sixties, decided to vote Labour at the last election. He said he now felt it was a “wasted vote”. He told researchers: “The Conservatives had to get out because they were lost. But maybe we should have gone down a different route.” He added that if there was an election tomorrow, Mr Deacon, who works in the water sector, went on to say: “I don’t think that they’re really targeting anybody – I don’t think they know who to target. They’ve got into power and I don’t think they really had a plan.” Meanwhile, Ian Haynes, an ex-Conservative who voted for Reform at the last election, said he stood by his decision since the Tories had “lost their way” and “I don’t hear any sensible arguments against what Labour’s doing”. Judy Carter, a teacher who voted for Labour, said: “If you’re trying to make a more equitable society, we’ve all got to take a share of the cuts, and up to now, the farmers have not taken any cuts. “So I understand they may think it’s unfair, but I believe the numbers of people actually going to be affected by the tax is not that great.” Another ex-Tory voter who voted for Labour in the last election said he thought it was going “terribly” for the Government. He said the Chancellor’s maiden Budget was not a “Budget for growth”, as she had termed it but a “Budget for absolute decline”. He added: “ is crippling. If you put together a small business owner probably has children at private schools. The VAT on top is ludicrous.” A Government spokesman said: “Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast – we have committed £5 billion to the farming budget over two years, including more money than ever for sustainable food production, and we are developing a 25-year farming roadmap, focusing on how to make the sector more profitable in the decades to come. “Our reform to Agricultural and Business Property Relief will impact around 500 estates a year. “For these estates, inheritance tax will be at half the rate paid by others, with 10 years to pay the liability back, interest-free. This is a fair and balanced approach which fixes the public services we all rely on.”

Coco Shrimp , the Fort Worth company started in 2016 out of a food truck and known for a simple shrimp-and-five-flavors concept, opened its eighth brick-and-mortar store in November — in College Station, the farthest location from the company’s home base. What’s next for owners Isaac and Lauren Hadley and Mary and Jordan Barrus: a Mansfield location, due in 2025. Trevor Carver, Coco Shrimp’s marketing manager, sat down for a Q&A with the Fort Worth Report. Nishimura: Are all eight restaurants corporately owned? Carver: Yes. (The owners) like to keep it that way, because it keeps them busy and they like what they’re doing. Nishimura: The company said in its social media around the College Station opening that you’d like to expand nationally. That doesn’t mean franchise? Carver: We get hit up every other day for franchise opportunities. We feel we lose a lot of control and vision when you open it up to franchise. We talk about it often, opening it up to franchising in the future. But the owners like what they’re doing right now. And we’ll push it as much as we can and try to hold on to it as long as possible. Nishimura: How have the owners financed these openings? Get essential daily news for the Fort Worth area. Sign up for insightful, in-depth stories — completely free. Carver: They try to cash-flow everything. Nishimura: This approach goes back to the way the owners opened the first brick-and-mortar store in 2019 — by themselves. Carver: Isaac and Jordan don’t have any restaurant experience. They just basically discovered it as they went along. They built their first location by hand, and that’s been the story all along. They were the general contractors. They did the second the same way, because it’s what they knew and it was cheaper that way. The third one was even quicker. And now it’s just a big snowball. Nishimura: As this company has evolved, what’s changed? Or has anything changed? Carver: Not a lot, honestly. I always like to compare it to In-N-Out . They serve two burgers — one’s a single patty, one’s a double patty — and that’s it. That’s what I love about it. (Ours) is just a simple concept. We have one protein, shrimp. Five flavors: coconut, lemon herb, butter garlic, spice and sweet and spicy. We added Coco tacos. But that’s kind of the biggest thing. Nishimura: How big a deal is it to go to College Station, some distance from home for this company? Carver: It’s huge. It’s far enough from DFW that you wouldn’t drive there in a day, for food. We were worried. But there’s kids (at Texas A&M University) who come from DFW. Hopefully, they’d heard of us, and some did. When we opened, we contacted influencers and companies to spread the word. And it worked. Getting in with the college students and faculty was huge. It gave us hope for spreading out of Texas eventually — and going coast-to-coast with it. We’ll be a very new name. Nishimura: Where does the shrimp come from? Carver: Right now, we get it from Ecuador, because it’s reliable, it’s the size we like. But it can depend on the season. Nishimura: What’s next? Carver: Our next one is Mansfield. We just got word we can start construction in January. We’re hoping for a spring opening. Related Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism . Republish This Story Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). Do not copy stories straight from the front-end of our web-site. You are required to follow the guidelines and use the republication tool when you share our content. The republication tool generates the appropriate html code. You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you use our stories in any other medium — for example, newsletters or other email campaigns — you must make it clear that the stories are from the Fort Worth Report. In all emails, link directly to the story at fortworthreport.org and not to your website. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. You have to credit Fort Worth Report. Please use “Author Name, Fort Worth Report” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by Fort Worth Report” and include our website, fortworthreport.org . You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. by Scott Nishimura, Fort Worth Report December 28, 2024None

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